Lightwave component analyzer

Abstract

A lightwave component analyzer comprising at least an internal optical receiver and preferably also comprising an internal optical source which are selectively connectable by switches configurable by means of an internal or an external instrument controller for calibration and performance of electro-optical, opto-electrical, and optical measurements. The switches are arranged in a switch matrix. The configurable switch matrix is connected by the instrument controller in response to selection of a measurement by a user to facilitate calibration of, and test measurements of devices under test with, the lightwave component analyzer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for performing test measurements on one of an electro-optical, opto-electrical, and optical device under test, comprising the steps of: providing a switch matrix for effecting switchable connections;   providing an electrical signal source having an electrical output;   connecting the electrical output of the electrical signal source to a first input of a tuned vector receiver;   providing at least one electrical test port;   switchably connecting the at least one electrical test port to one of the electrical output of the electrical signal source and a second input of the tuned vector receiver;   providing an optical source, the optical source having an electrical input and an optical output;   connecting the optical output of the optical source to a first optical test port;   providing at least one optical receiver, the at least one optical receiver having an optical input and an electrical output;   connecting the optical input of the at least one optical receiver to a second optical test port; and   performing one of an electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test, an opto-electrical measurement on an opto-electrical device under test, and an optical measurement on an optical device under test;   the electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test being performed by connecting an electrical input of the electro-optical device under test to the at least on electrical test port, connecting an optical output of the electro-optical device under test to the second optical test port, switchably connecting the electrical output of the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port, and switchably connecting the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to a second input of the tuned vector receiver;   the opto-electrical measurement on an opto-electrical device under test being performed by connecting an optical input of the opto-electrical device under test to the first optical test port, connecting an electrical output of the opto-electrical device under test to the at least one electrical test port, switchably connecting the electrical input of the optical source to the electrical output of the electrical signal source, and switchably connecting the at least one electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver;   the optical measurement on an optical device under test being performed by connecting an optical input of the optical device under test to the first optical test port, connecting an optical output of the optical device under test to the second optical test port, switchably connecting the electrical input of the optical source to the electrical output of the electrical signal source, and switchably connecting the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to the second input of the tuned vector receiver.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical source is an external optical source. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 wherein the switch matrix is configurable by means of an external instrument controller. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal source produces a modulation signal having a swept frequency and the stp of performing an opto-electrical measurement comprises measuring responsivity versus modulating frequency for an opto-electrical device under test. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal source produces a modulation signal having a swept frequency and the stp of performing an electro-optical measurement comprises measuring responsivity versus modulating frequency for an electro-optical device under test. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing a second electrical test port; and   performing an electrical measurement on an electrical device under test;   the electrical measurement on an electrical device under test being performed by connecting an electrical input of the electrical device under test to the at least one electrical test port, connecting an electrical output of the electrical device under test to the second electrical test port, switchably connecting the electrical output of the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port, and switchably connecting the second electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: establishing an initial calibration reference based on known characteristics of the optical source and the at least one optical receiver prior to performing a measurement on one of an electro-optical, opto-electrical, and optical device under test;   performing a measurement on the calibration reference to produce error correction data prior to performing a measurement on the device under test; and   using the error correction data when one of the electro-optical, opto-electrical, and optical characteristics of the device under test is measured.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing the error correction data after performing a measurement on the calibration reference. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical source has known electro-optical characteristics and the optical receiver has known opto-electrical characteristics, further comprising the steps of: providing optical connection means for interconnecting the first optical test port and the second optical test port;   performing an optical calibration prior to performing an optical measurement on an optical device under test by switchably connecting the electrical input of the optical source to the electrical output of the electrical signal source, connecting the first optical test port to the second optical test port, and switchably connecting the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to the second input of the tuned vector receiver for producing optical error correction data; and   using the optical error correction data when the optical measurement is performed on an optical device under test.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: providing a second electrical test port;   providing electrical connection means for interconnecting the at least one electrical test port and the second electrical test port;   performing an electrical calibration prior to performing one of an electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test and an opto-electrical measurement on an opto-electrical device under test by switchably connecting the electrical output of the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port, connecting the at least one electrical test port to the second electrical test port, and switchably connecting the second electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver for producing electrical error correction data; and   using the optical error correction data and the electrical error correction data when one of the electro-optical measurement is performed on an electro-optical device under test and the opto-electrical measurement is performed on an opto-electrical device under test.   
     
     
       11. A lightwave component analyzer system for performing a measurement on one of an electro-optical, opto-electrical, and optical devices under test for measuring performance of fiber optic systems, subsystems, and associated components, comprising: a plurality of switches for providing switchable connections;   an electrical signal source for generating an electrical signal;   a tuned vector receiver having a first input connected to the electrical signal source, the tuned vector receiver being internal to the lightwave component analyzer system, the tuned vector receiver also having a second input;   at least one electrical test port, the at least one electrical test port being switchably connected by a first switch to one of the electrical signal source and the second input of the tuned vector receiver;   an optical source having an electrical input switchably connected by a second switch to the electrical signal source, the optical source including an electro-optical transducer for converting the electrical signal generated by the electrical signal source to an optical signal, the optical source having optical output;   a first optical test port connected to the optical output of the optical source;   a second optical test port;   at least one optical receiver having an optical input connected to the second optical test port, the at least one optical receiver including an opto-electrical transducer for converting a received optical signal to an electrical signal, the at least one optical receiver having an electrical output, the at least one optical receiver being internal to the lightwave component analyzer system;   the electrical output of the opto-electrical transducer being switchably connected by a third switch to the second input of the tuned vector receiver; and   instrument control means for configuring the switches to perform one of an electro-optical measurement on an opto-electrical device under test, and an optical measurement on an optical device under test;   the electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test being performed by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches so that the first switch connects the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port and the third switch connects the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to the second input of the tuned vector receiver, an electrical input of the electro-optical device under test being connected to the at least one electrical test port and an optical output of the electro-optical device under test being connected to the second optical test port;   the opto-electrical measurement on the opto-electrical device under test being performed by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches to that the first switch connects the at least one electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver and the second switch connects the electrical signal source to the electrical input of the optical source, an optical input of the opto-electrical device under test being connected to the first optical test port and an electrical output of the opto-electrical device under test being connected to the at least one electrical test port;   the optical measurement on the optical device under test being performed by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches so that the second switch connects the electrical signal source to the electrical input of the optical source and the third switch connects the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to the second input of the tuned vector receiver, an optical input of the optical device under test being connected to the first optical test port and an optical output of the optical device under test being connected to the second optical test port.   
     
     
       12. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 11 wherein the electrical source is a modulation source which generates a 130 MHz to 20 GHz electrical signal. 
     
     
       13. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 11 wherein the optical source is an external optical source. 
     
     
       14. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 11, further comprising: a second electrical test port;   an electrical measurement on an electrical device under test being performed by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches so that the first switch connects the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port and a fourth switch connects the second electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver, while an electrical input of the electrical device under test is connected to the at least one electrical test port and an electrical output of the electrical device under test is connected to the second electrical test port.   
     
     
       15. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 11 wherein the optical source is internal to the lightwave component analyzer system. 
     
     
       16. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 15 wherein the optical source comprises a first laser connected to the first optical test port, further comprising an optical switch positioned between the first laser and the first optical test port, a third optical test port, and a second laser connected to the third optical test port, the optical switch being configured by the instrument control means to select one of the first and second lasers. 
     
     
       17. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 15 wherein the optical source comprises one of a Fabry-Perot laser and a distributed feedback laser. 
     
     
       18. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 11 wherein the optical source has known electro-optical characteristics and the optical receiver has known opto-electrical characteristics, further comprising: optical connection means for interconnecting the first optical test port and the second optical test port;   an optical calibration being performed prior to an optical measurement on an optical device under test by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches so that the second switch connects the electrical signal source to the electrical input of the optical source and the third switch connects the electrical output of the at least one optical receiver to the second input of the tuned vector receiver, while the optical connection means is connected between the first and second optical test ports, for producing optical error correction data; and   means for compensating the optical measurement on an optical device under test using the optical error correction data when the optical measurement is performed.   
     
     
       19. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 18, further comprising: a second electrical test port;   electrical connection means for interconnecting the at least one electrical test port and the second electrical test port;   an electrical calibration being performed prior to one of an electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test and an opto-electrical measurement on an opto-electrical device under test by the instrument control means configuring the plurality of switches so that the first switch connects the electrical signal source to the at least one electrical test port and a fourth switch connects the second electrical test port to the second input of the tuned vector receiver, while the electrical connection means is connected between the at least one electrical test port and the second electrical test port, for producing electrical error correction data; and   means for compensating one of the electro-optical measurement on an electro-optical device under test and the opto-electrical measurement on a opto-electrical device under test using the optical error correction data and the electrical error correction data when the one of the electro-optical measurement and the opto-electrical measurement is performed.   
     
     
       20. The lightwave component analyzer system of claim 19, further comprising means for storing the error correction data.